Device for digital imaging and storage of a document

ABSTRACT

An apparatus is described for the digital imaging and storing of a document with a digital image capturing device and with an evaluation circuit ( 19 ) for the digital image which can be stored in a memory ( 18 ), which evaluation circuit can be connected to the digital image capturing device and is formed by a computer ( 3 ). In order to provide an advantageous precondition for the mobile use of such apparatuses it is proposed that the digital image capturing device consists of a digital camera ( 8 ), that from the stored digital image two digital image files can be derived through the evaluation circuit ( 19 ), one the one hand for color images with low resolution and on the other hand for monochrome images in a two-tone representation with high resolution, and can be read into memory units ( 20, 21 ), that a portable carrying-case-like container is provided for the computer ( 3 ), its input device ( 6 ) and the digital camera ( 8 ) whose opened lid ( 12 ) forms a stand for an extension arm ( 14 ) for receiving the digital camera ( 8 ), and that the container ( 1 ) comprises a cover ( 10 ) that can be opened for the carrying-case space ( 2 ) as a support ( 11 ) for the document to be captured.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to an apparatus for the digital imaging andstoring of a document with a digital image capturing device and with anevaluation circuit for the digital image which can be stored in amemory, which evaluation circuit can be connected to the digital imagecapturing device and is formed by a computer.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] For the purpose of digital imaging of documents, digital picturescanning devices in the form of scanners are used through which thecaptured digital pixels of the images are saved in order to manage thedigital image files with the help of programs by using computers.Evaluation circuits which are formed by computers can be used to editand print the stored image files as required. The efforts in connectionwith said known scanners for digital imaging and storing of documentsmake such a usually stationary device unsuitable for mobile use.Moreover, said known scanners can only be used economically when thedocuments to be imaged are supplied in stacks.

[0003] In order to enable a courier service to carry out the easyidentification of packets which due to deficient information on thedelivery address cannot be delivered and are therefore intermediatelystored it is known (WO 98/22 888 A1) to store a digital image of saidpackets which is produced by means of a digital camera. Key data such asa predominant color or the packet size which can be obtained from theimage from a predetermined image scale are obtained through anevaluation circuit and stored separately according to a specific packetfor simplifying the search. This known image scanning device is notsuitable for digital imaging and storing documents whose content is tobe scanned with the lowest possible loss of information with acomparatively low amount of storage space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The invention is based on the object of providing an apparatusfor digital imaging and storing documents in such a way that aneconomical scanning and storing of the scanned documents is possible onsite, namely under the condition of the simplest possible handling.

[0005] This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in sucha way that the digital image capturing device consists of a digitalcamera, that from the stored digital image two digital image files canbe derived through the evaluation circuit, one the one hand for colorimages with low resolution and on the other hand for monochrome imagesin a two-tone representation with high resolution, and can be read intomemory units, that a portable carrying-case,-like container is providedfor the computer, its input device and the digital camera whose openedlid forms a stand for an extension arm for receiving the digital camera,and that the container comprises a cover that can be opened for thecarrying-case space as a support for the document to be captured.

[0006] By providing a commercially available digital camera which mustensure a respectively high resolution of the digital image however, lowrecording times for the document imaging can be ensured as a result ofthe simultaneous scanning of all pixels in comparison with theline-by-line pixel scanning of conventional scanners. Moreover, theimaging by the digital camera is not limited to two-dimensionaldocuments. Since two digital image files can be derived from the digitalimaging of a document by way of the evaluation circuit which produces onthe one hand a color image of low resolution and on the other hand amonochrome image in two-tone representation of high resolution, thepotentially large amount of data of the digital imaging of a documentcan be reduced considerably without having to take into account anymeaningful loss of information. The monochrome two-tone representationcorresponds to the usual black and white analogue copy of a documentand, due to the high resolution, offers an imaging precision which issufficient for post-processing by optical character recognition forexample. Since such monochrome two-tone representations cause a loss ofimage information in the case of colored documents or different greyshades, this loss of information is substantially compensated by theimage file for the color reproduction which does not require any highresolution because the main intention is to display this colorrepresentation of the imaged document on a screen in order to enable thereading of characters with a color marking in the background. In thisway it is possible to keep the size of the two image documents small incomparison with the digital image of a document as taken by the digitalcamera without having to make do without the essential imageinformation. With a conventional compression of the image files thecurrent memories can be used advantageously for storing a plurality ofdocuments. Due to the fact that conventional file formats are used, thestored image files can be managed advantageously with conventionalprograms.

[0007] The use of a conventional digital camera further provides animportant precondition for the mobile use of such apparatuses becausethese apparatuses can be combined in a portable, carrying-case-likecontainer. For this purpose the opened lid of the container contains astand for an extension arm for receiving the digital camera. A coverthat can be opened for the carrying-case space forms a support for thedocument to be scanned.

[0008] The computer held in the carrying-case space needs to beconnected with the digital camera merely by means of a respectivecontrol and data transmission cable in order to start the digitalimaging of a document which is placed on the support of thecarrying-case space. It is understood that a chargeable power sourceneeds to be provided in the carrying-case-like container in order toenable the power supply both of the computer as well as the digitalcamera. The input device of the computer as provided for the control ofthe computer and the digital camera can be stowed in the carrying-casespace for transport like the digital camera.

[0009] Especially simple operating conditions are obtained when thecover supports a screen which is controlled via the digital camera onthe one hand and via the computer on the other hand, so that the screendisplays the image of the document as taken by the digital camera on theone hand and allows the operation of the computer via a conventionalscreen display on the other hand. The changeover of the screen controlcan advantageously occur via the input device of the computer.

[0010] Although the extension arm for receiving the digital camera canbe arranged in a removable manner in the cover of the container,especially simple constructional conditions are obtained when theextension is held in a swivelable manner in the cover of the container,since in such a case the power supply for the digital camera can besecured by a cable arranged in the extension arm for example. Sinceexternal light conditions are generally insufficient for a favorableillumination of the document to be scanned it is recommended to providethe extension arm or the cover with an illumination device facing thesupport for the document, preferably a flashgun device. The power supplyfor this illumination device can again be provided by the power sourcesituated in the carrying-case space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The subject matter of the invention is shown in an exemplarymanner in the drawings. An apparatus in accordance with the inventionfor the digital imaging and storing of a document is shown in aschematic block diagram.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] According to the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus for thedigital imaging and storing of a document comprises a portable,carrying-case-like container 1 whose carrying-case space 2 holds acomputer 3 with a power source 4 in the form of a chargeable accumulatorwith a power unit. The container 1 further comprises a withdrawabledrawer 5 for an input device 6 of the computer 3, with a membranekeyboard being preferably used. The carrying-case space 2 which forms areceiving means 7 for a digital camera 8 can be closed off by a cover 10which is swivelable about an axis 9 in order to form a support 11 for adocument to be imaged. The cover 12 whose hinge joint is designated withreference numeral 13 forms in a locked opened position a stand for anextension arm 14 for receiving the digital camera 8. Said extension arm14 which can be swiveled about an axis 15 and can be locked in the statewhen swung out forms a camera stand together with the opened cover 12 ofthe container 1, which stand holds the digital camera 8 in a snapshotposition which is perpendicular to the support 11, so that especiallyfavorable snapshot conditions can be ensured for imaging a document onthe support 11. Since the extension arm 14 is additionally provided withan illumination device 16 such as a ring flash, an illumination of thedocument to be imaged is ensured which is independent from the outsidelighting conditions. The digital camera 8 and the illumination device 16are connected to the power source 4 like the computer 3.

[0013] In the region of the cover 12, a screen 17 is provided which iscontrolled on the one hand by the computer 3 and on the other hand bythe digital camera 8. The computer 3 can therefore be operated via theinput device 6 in a conventional manner with the help of the screen 17.When the screen control is switched over via the input device 6 to thedigital camera 8, the image of the document as taken by the digitalcamera 8 is displayed with a respectively low resolution. The screen 17can therefore be used as a view finder for the digital camera 8. Thedigital color image as taken by the remote-controlled digital camera 8is transmitted to the computer 3 and saved there in a memory 18. Thedata transmission can occur via a data medium belonging to the digitalcamera 8 or be made directly.

[0014] The digital image of the imaged document as stored in the memory18 is converted into two image files in an evaluation circuit 19 of thecomputer 3 after having entered a command via the input-device 6, whichimage files are saved to memory units 20 and 21. These image files eachrepresent a selection of the image files as taken by the digital camera8. Whereas the one digital image file contains a color representation ofthe digital image taken in a coarse resolution, the other of the twodigital image files comprises a monochrome two-tone image of highresolution. Image information that was lost in the monochrome image filecan be queried in a supplementary manner via the image file for thecolor image. Since the monochrome image file which is saved to thememory unit 21 is used for the printout of the imaged document, amonochrome image of the document can be provided in sufficient qualityfor the printout or further processing due to the considerably reduceddata quantity, comparable with a conventional black and white analoguecopy. If certain image regions are not sufficiently readable despite thehigh resolution of the monochrome image file as a result of lack ofcolor information or lack of half-tones, the color image of memory unit20 can be additionally output on a screen which despite the lowresolution of the color image displays the lacking information with asufficient precision since screens inherently lead to a lowerresolution. It is understood that computer 3 can also be used as aconventional computer, with data exchange with other computers beingeasily possible via suitable interfaces.

[0015] After the evaluation of the digital image of the document astaken by the digital camera 8, the memory 18 can be deleted for thisdigital image because the digital image files as derived from thedigital image and stored in the memory units 20 and 21 containsufficient information on the imaged document.

[0016] Since the memory 18 and the memory units 20 and 21 correspond tofolders on the harddrive of the computer, the image files saved to thesefolders can be managed like any other files, especially when-these filesare provided with a standard format, which is easily possible. Thisopens up numerous possibilities to combine and organize the documentswhich were digitally captured in the manner as described above in orderto find them again by means of suitable search functions. The managementof the digitally captured documents can obviously only occur outside ofcomputer 3. It is possible that certain basic data for organization inlater databases can already be predetermined on capturing the documentsvia the digital camera 8.

1. An apparatus for the digital imaging and storing of a document with adigital image capturing device and with an evaluation circuit (19) forthe digital image which can be stored in a memory (18), which evaluationcircuit can be connected to the digital image capturing device and isformed by a computer (3), characterized in that the digital imagecapturing device consists of a digital camera (8), that from the storeddigital image two digital image files can be derived through theevaluation circuit (19), one the one hand for color images with lowresolution and on the other hand for monochrome images in a two-tonerepresentation with high resolution, and can be read into memory units(20, 21), that a portable carrying-case-like container is provided forthe computer (3), its input device (6) and the digital camera (8) whoseopened lid (12) forms a stand for an extension arm (14) for receivingthe digital camera (8), and that the container (1) comprises a cover(10) that can be opened for the carrying-case space (2) as a support(11) for the document to be captured.
 2. An apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, characterized in that the lid (12) carries a screen (17) whichcan be controlled on the one hand by the digital camera (8) and on theother hand by the computer (3).
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or2, characterized in that the extension arm (14) for receiving thedigital camera (8) is held swivelably in the lid (12) of the container(1).
 4. An apparatus as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 3,characterized in that the extension arm (14) or the lid (12) comprisesan illumination device (16), preferably a flash device, which faces thesupport (11) for the document.